The short and long-term benefits of breast milk and breastfeeding for children and mothers are well established, with benefits increasing with duration. Interruption of breastfeeding is associated with adverse physical and mental health outcomes for the mother and the child and society. However, more than 60% of mothers stop breastfeeding earlier than the recommended 6-month minimum exclusive breastfeeding, depriving their babies and themselves of its health benefits. “I don’t make enough milk” and “My baby has trouble sucking or latching on” are the top common concerns associated with early cessation of breastfeeding. When a baby is bottle-fed, the mother loses the stimulation for milk production, causing premature degradation of her milk supply, leading to a full conversion to bottle feeding, frequently with formula.
The objective for Presque is to develop need-specific lactation aids to mitigate the main reasons mothers wean early and could partially ameliorate the global health burden resulting from insufficient breastfeeding for the recommended two years.
Presque smart wearable lactation aids enable simultaneous dual direct breast and supplemental feeding of an infant while promoting a mother’s lactation cycle, building her self-confidence with data-driven insight, and supporting the safe implementation of skin-to-skin contact.